A disabled toilet has been used regularly for sex and a homeless couple even moved in for a time, it has been revealed.

A North East Lincolnshire Council official said there had been reports of cottaging, where men have anonymous sex in the toilets.

Councillors have agreed to look for an alternative method of keeping the toilets on St Peter’s Avenue Cleethorpes secure and access only for disabled people due to the abuse of the existing radar key scheme.

Croft Baker ward councillor, Matthew Brown said: “There was a couple of homeless people, a man and woman, who had moved in to the disabled toilet. It meant no one could use it.”

He added: “It has also been used for people having sex.”

St Peter's Avenue public conveniences in Cleethorpes where a homeless couple moved in and 'cottagers' have been active (Image: Duncan Young)

The councillor said the chord to raise the alarm for disabled users in distress had also been cut.

Councillor Brown said: “That could cost someone’s life because they could have a fit.

“The issue is that radar keys are available nationwide without proof of disability, so there is no proper mechanism for security. the whole point is that people with a disability have somewhere safe and clean.

"We could use scanning cards where people purchase the card with full proof of their disability."

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Council assets service manager, Wendy Fisher told members of the economic regeneration scrutiny panel the council was now entering a tendering process and the successful bidder will take over the running of the public loos later this year.

The only exception to that is the Cleethorpes Boating Lake toilets which are likely to be run by a community group.

The officer said discussions were taking place for an asset transfer of that toilet block.

She said alternative entry mechanisms had been studied.

Councillor Matthew Brown at St Peter's Avenue toilets in Cleethorpes which were used as a home for a couple

Using a keypad entry system could easily be compromised and lead to further vandalism, she said.

The officer said toilets were closed at 8pm and the scale of vandalism had reduced significantly.

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At the scrutiny panel meeting portfolio holder for regeneration, assets and skills and housing, Councillor Peter Wheatley said: “The radar scheme falls short because you can buy the radar keys off the internet. We have to look at something different for disabled people.

"We even had a couple living in one of the toilets for a couple of days because they were able to access through the radar key system.”